flag and national anthem etiquette

~ Allons enfants de la patria ~ Le jour de gloire est arrivé! ~ I took French in high school, and that was one of the songs we learned. It's a very bloody song; I'm glad our anthem is not like that. Let's go children of the fatherland, The day of glory has arrived! Against us tyranny's Bloody flag is raised! (repeat) In the countryside, do you hear The roaring of these fierce soldiers? They come right to our arms To slit the throats of our sons, our friends! Refrain Grab your weapons, citizens! Form your batallions! Let us march! Let us march! May impure blood Water our fields! You are a better person than I am. Of course I wouldn't be talking to someone when I suspect the song being played is a national anthem of another country due to the ceremony I am attending. If it's on TV, most likely I am in a bar (I refuse to buy a TV for my apartment. That's another topic) It has been a while since I saw the anthem being played on TV, but most likely there would be several TVs on in various locations - There would be too many distractions to do it properly. I knew Great Britain's is "God Save the Queen" but if it's played in the midst of American songs, most likely it's "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" - which reminds me, that our anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, was set to music of an English drinking song - To Anacreon in Heav'n, where he sat in full glee, A few Sons of Harmony sent a petition; That he their Inspirer and Patron wou'd be; When this answer arrived from the Jolly Old Grecian; "Voice, Fiddle, and Flute, No longer be mute, I'll lend you my name and inspire you to boot, And besides I'll instruct you like me, to intwine, The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's Vine." I remember a movement a few years back, to attempt to make "O Beautiful (~ for speacious skies ~ for amber waves of grain ~) - to make that the national anthem instead. I would be all for it - I can sing that a lot better. I confess I had to look up Canada's - I thought it was also "God Save the Queen" but I see they established theirs in 1980, "O Canada" I probably won't recognize it if it was played without words, and no context to hint to me that it's their anthem. I found this site today, http://www.national-anthems.net/ - it has the music and the lyrics to the anthems of many countries. Oh, I almost forgot - They gave another fireworks show yesterday (Saturday, July 5) - this time I saw a dozen stand, about a third of the people in my immediate vicinity. So we're not all that bad.

What is proper to do when you hear any national anthem has to be taught. if you are not taught you will never know.Our national anthem is about a battle in 1812, while it seems like France's is about all the bloodshed that made France free through the centuries.If you know about the battle Key was writing about , the words make sense. I didn't really understand the true meaning until I studied the battle.It is all there and the words are beautiful. But the music sucks. No regular person can sing it. The only time I am happy to hear it is during the Olympics because it means a gold metal was won.Of national anthems I mentioned, Canada's is the prettiest and the easiest to learn and sing.I got to hear it at the beginning of hockey games played in Canada when I had the NHL package a few years back.I loved it when they would sing the first part in English and then the middle in french and then back to English.Beautiful.Thanks for the site.I will go there and try to add to the anthems I can recognize.

Thanks for best response.